Vincent van Mechelen
WHAT IF THERE WERE NO ASH?
What would we do,
if there were no ash?
We would put the kettle out in the meadow,
wondering where to leave the boiling water.
And people used to containers for their liquids
would find that things were now beyond their ken.
We would miss a common name for a common tree,
wondering if its scientific one would do. (No way!)
And smokers looking for their special trays
would fail to find a place for their powder.
We would hear of pilots lending their planes safely,
wondering about the fate of the borrowers.
And those lying down for a good night's sleep
would still be confronted with all the bed news,
and blame the birds ... for being nesty.
Our world would burn in incomprehension,
and no phenix would arise from its ashes.
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66.EQU
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